Monica Rizzio grew up on a ranch, barrel racing in East Texas. Somehow, many years later, she found herself crossing over the iconic bridges of Cape Cod and seeing the ocean for the first time. The versatile performer now calls Cape Cod home and her album “Washashore Cowgirl” is completely autobiographical, telling stories from that journey from Texas to the Cape.
Rizzio is currently touring and stops at Brandon Music on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Rizzio is the former front woman for Tripping Lily, a folk acoustic pop band, but left behind the acoustic condenser mic style and has brought back the cowgirl attitude and East Texas roots. Finding her outlaw country sound deep within the folk world, she likes to call her music AmeriCountryGrass.
“Washashore Cowgirl” — “washashore” being Cape Cod’s equivalent to Vermont’s “flatlander” — was nominated for Independent Music Awards Country Album of the Year.
The singer-songwriter has become one of the most reliable supporting acts as well, having shared the stage with Chris Botti, Boz Scaggs, Diana Krall, Joan Osborne and Slaid Cleaves this past year. She also performed with Tom Rush, but as Rush says, “I made the tactical error of inviting Monica Rizzio to share the stage with me at Symphony Hall and she went and stole the audience right out from under me!” Rizzio has also played the Main Stage at Strawberry Park Bluegrass festival the past two years and is a frequent collaborator with the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra.
Saturday’s concert is at 7:30 p.m., tickets are $20. A pre-concert dinner is available for an extra $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB.
Contact (802) 247-4295, [email protected] or visit brandon-music.net for more info.